King Alexander III, Crowned

Alexander III (September 04, 1241 - March 19, 1286), King of Scots, also known as Alexander the Glorious, ranks as one of Scotlands greatest kings.

Born at Roxburgh, Borders, as the son of Alexander II of Scotland by his second wife Marie de Coucy, he became king at the age of eight when his father died (6 July 1249). His coronation took place on July 13, 1249 at Scone Abbey, Perthshire.

Scone Palace (pronounced skoon) is a Listed Historical Building near Perth, but, more importantly, a place of coronation for Pictish and Scottish kings. The present palace was built in 1608 for the Earls of Mansfield by William Atkinson. Scone was as an ancient gathering place of the Picts, and was probably the site of an early Christian church.

From 1114 to 1559 Scone was one of Scotlands major abbeys. It was founded by King Alexander I. A representation of the church on the Abbeys seal, and some surviving architectural fragments, show that it was built in the Romanesque style, with a central tower crowned with a spire.

Between 1284 and 1402 Scone Abbey (sometimes referred to as the Palace of the Abbots) often served to house the Parliament of Scotland. Alexander II and Alexander III, both crowned at Scone, ruled collectively from 1214 to 1286.